Check us out on GMA!

We were thrilled to have IPEMA featured on Good Morning America this month reinforcing the importance of playground safety during hot weather.

Reinforcing our leadership position in the industry, we offered the following statement to GMA, to remind parents and caregivers to be mindful of the play environment in hot weather conditions.

“As the playground industry’s leading safety certification organization, we, as an organization and as individual membership companies, work every day to minimize risk of injury on commercial playground equipment. It is our top priority. As with any outdoor structure exposed to the elements of nature, playground equipment is affected by direct sun.

“IPEMA recommends its members take the following proactive steps to minimize the risk of thermal burn injuries on playgrounds:

Posted warnings on all playground equipment structures alerting parents and caregivers to the hazards of burns. It is imperative that parents and caregivers supervising children on playgrounds remain aware of weather conditions and read these clearly posted warnings prior to placing children on playground equipment. In particular, parents should note that even in mild weather, if equipment or surfacing is in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, there is a risk of sustaining a thermal burn injury.

The use of heat-reducing thermoplastic coatings to insulate steel components, which would otherwise heat the most quickly in the sun

Design components that incorporate shade into the playground – both naturally occurring and as part of the built environment.”